March 18, 2024 – Cape Town
SANLiC is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking three-year agreement with academic publisher Taylor & Francis (T&F) for 2024-2026. Taylor & Francis is South Africa’s second-largest research publishing venue, accounting for nearly 20% of research traditionally published behind a paywall. This deal provides affordable access to scholarly information and open access (OA) publishing, supporting South African researchers in transitioning toward open-access publishing.
Ms Ellen Tise, Chairperson: SANLiC Board of Directors says, “This deal has enabled South Africa to repurpose read-only subscription expenditure to finance the right for our authors from participating institutions to publish full and immediate Open Access in all Taylor & Francis Open Select (hybrid) journals while retaining their copyright and without paying any fee. When added to our 13 other such agreements, over 80% of South African research traditionally published behind a paywall now has the potential to be published fully open access without additional fees.”
The agreement extends reading access to over 2,000 Open Select (hybrid) journals in the T&F Social Sciences & Humanities and Science & Technology packages. The publishing allocation will enable authors affiliated with participating institutions to publish open access in the same journals, including the Medical journals, at no additional cost. The publishing allocation is split into two parts; 37% is devoted to local journals (UNISA and NISC) within these packages, with the remainder allocated to all the other Open Select journals. In addition, authors choosing to publish in the 332 of T&F’s fully open access journals are eligible for a 10% discount on Article Processing Charges.
Dr Phethiwe Matutu, CEO of Universities South Africa (USAf) adds, “It is indeed the most welcome news that SANLiC and Taylor and Francis managed to clinch this three-year agreement. USAf regards the agreement as cushioning our universities from the harsh reality of reduced state subsidies that provide a lifeblood to the daily operations of universities including library resources. USAf appreciates that the two entities prioritise the advancement of open and high-quality learning in our universities.”
The benefits of this agreement reflect SANLiC’s commitment to promoting equitable access to scholarly information and social justice. SANLiC believes this agreement will significantly enhance readership and amplify the impact of South African research globally.
Media Contact:
Glenn Truran (SANLiC) – Click here to email.